Category Archive: Music

Missy Elliott: The Return of a Hip-Hop Icon

Imagine that it is the early 2000s and there is a video playing on a television screen called “Supa Dupa Fly,” produced by the hottest musical genius of the time, Timbaland, is bumping in the background. There is a woman dressed in a black, inflated, trash-bag like garment, doing eccentric dance moves. There are background dancers moving to the entrancing hip-hop beat, with flashing lights that one could not miss. The chorus: “Me, I’m supa dupa fly,” is repeated by the rapper, who at the time way ahead of her time. Her larger than life clothing, lyrics, and attitude proved to be a true revelation of who the artist would become.

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Snoh Aalegra: Soulful, Sultry Sensations

When many of us think back to our first experiences with love or relationships, we picture the child-like crushes we had. Some of us, like myself, might have been dramatic enough to even write about those crushes in our diaries. As we get older love and relationships begin to change, these pure and innocent infatuations turn into passionate intense connections. Relationships can lead to toxic situations with people who made you believe in love only to show their true ulterior motives. No one may understand this better than Iranian-Swedish artist Snoh Aalegra. 

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Jamila Woods: LEGACY! LEGACY!

It’s not always easy to see the kinship and connection between greats of the past and the greatness we hold within ourselves. But in her works, R&B vocalist and Pushcart literary prize nominated poet, Jamila Woods challenges herself and her listeners to see that connection and to empower themselves through their legacy. This Chicago native has dedicated her art, both literary and musical, to paying homage to people who made her existence possible.

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ROLE MODEL: Navigating the Mainstream

Those of us that grew up during hip-hop’s golden era,  aren’t completely sold on today’s music. We talk about it all the time in such a negative fashion that we haven’t really began to open our ears. By not giving “their” music a fair chance, we’ve ignored this new wave of music and its artists. This generation of music is unafraid to talk about things that were once taboo, like  mental health. They’ve become their own source of guidance through depression, drug addiction, and other mental health issues. The youth of today look to artists that share similar stories, the same way 80s babies listened to artists we felt we could relate to. That’s where artists who are brave enough to talk about mental health in their music like Tucker Pillsbury, aka ROLE MODEL come into play. 

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